Adjustable automatic saw-table gauge



Feb. 3, 1948. H. T. CASKEY 2,435,382

ADJ US TABLE AUTOMAT I C SAW- TABLE GAUGE Filed April 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor an Ry; T. CAskey IlHll J By +3 27 4 W MQ Patented Feb. 3, 1948 OFFICE ADJUSTABLE AUTOMATIC SAW-TABLE GAUGE 7 Henry '1. oasky, Oakland, Calif.

Application April 11, 1945, ScrialNo. 587,130 I This invention relates to a gauge for attachment to woodworking machinery such as saws, dadoes, drills and the like.

The object of the invention is to enable the operator to cut any one of a number of different lengths of material without altering the adjustment of the stops.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing my invention which embodies among its features an attachment carrying a plurality of stops which may be adjusted to various positions along the length of the machine and against which the work to be cut or drilled is arrested when moved longitudinally.

Other features embody stops which normally rest upon the upper surface of the table and which when not serving to arrest the work may be readily lifted out of the way to allow the work to be shoved against an adjacent stop so that its length can be determined with accuracy.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved gauge attached to a saw table by Way of illustration.

Figure 2 is a front view in elevation of a fragment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified form of stop supporting bracket.

In carrying my invention into practice my gauge designated generally ID comprises a supporting bar I I to which clamp members I2 are held in adjusted positon by means of set screws I3. These clamp members comprise a substantially inverted U-shaped body from which legs I4 and I5 depend and the leg I5 is pierced with an internally screw-threaded aperture to receive clamping screw I6 (Fig. 3).

Embracing the supporting bar I I as illustrated in Figure 4 are brackets I! each of which comprises a body portion I8 having an opening I9 and a slot 20 which communicates with the opening and opens outwardly through the rear end of the body I8 as illustrated in Figure 4. The lower portion of the bracket formed by the slot 20 is internally screw-threaded as at 2| while the upper portion is provided with a smooth bore 22 to receive a clamping screw 23 by means of which the body is clamped to the supporting bar II. Extending forwardly and downwardly from the forward end of the body I8 is a pair of arms 24 each of which is formed near its forward end with an 2 Claims. (Cl; 143-474) opening to receive a cross bar 25. Supported on the cross bar for free movement within the space between the legs 24 is a ring-shaped stop 25 which is normally urged in the position shown in full lines in Figure 4 under the influence of gravity. I

As illustrated in Figure 1, the gauge I0 is shown attached to a saw frame comprising a table 21 having a slot 28 through which the saw blade 29 projects. As shown this table is adapted to be moved backward and forward toward and away from the saw blade along a track 30 and carries at its rear end a fence 3I. While the device is shown as being attached to a saw table it is to be understood that the gauge may be at-- tached to a dadoing machine or drill press by means of which diiierent operations may be performed.

In use, as illustrated in Figure 1, the members I2 are clamped by clamping screw I6 (Figure 3) to the fence 3| and the gaugemembers I I are adjusted to the desired positions along the bar I I in order to determine the length of cut to be made. The saw table is next moved forwardly in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 after which the work W is placed upon the table and moved longitudinally so as engage a stop 26 at A. The saw cut may then be made and a piece will result which is of a length equal to the distance between the saw 29 and first stop A. Should it be desired to cut a longer length, the work is placed on the table with its ends between the stops A and B and upon moving the work back against the fence, the stop at A is automatically lifted so as to permit the work to be moved into contact with the stop at B. When in this position the stop ring 26 at A will rest upon the upper surface of the work as shown in Figure 1. The saw cut is then made and the result is a piece equal to the distance between the saw 29 and the stop B. It will thus be seen that pieces of varying lengths may be readily produced without requiring readjustment of the positions of the stops and desired lengths may be easily and quickly duplicated as often as required. While only three stops have been shown it is to be understood that any number of stops may be employed and where desired the work W may be advanced longitudinally of the table to pass as many stops as it is desired to omit. It is obvious that the same gauge may be employed on dadoing machines or upon drill presses and that by utilizing the stops in the manner described accurate cuts may be made be obtained with a minimum of eflfort.

In Figure 5, I have illustrated a inodified form of clamp for the stops each of which comprises a body portion 32 which is pierced as at 33 to receive the supporting bar H. In this type of device I employ a set screw 34 for holding the stop in the desired position on the bar ll. Like the stop previously described the body is provided with depending arms 35 which are connected at their lower ends byacross pin fifi uppn which the stop rings 31 are suspended in the same manner as the rings 26. Such stops as those disclosed in Figure 5 can be substituted:

for those disclosed in Figure 4 thoughtheformerv type described is preferred.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment-of tins"- i invention it is to be understood that ninor changes in the details of construction; cornbi'na tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted;

chine comprising a supporting bar), supporting clamps adjustably' attached. to. the bar near opposits ends and adapted to be clarnpedtosth e v fence of a Woodworking machine, stops' adjustable on the supportingba'r between the clamps,

forwardly and downwardlyextendin'g} arms at therrorwardiends of the stops; each of saidarms 4 being bifurcated adjacent its forward end, and stop rings suspended in the bifurcations in said arms and adapted to fall by gravity behind the end of the work and serve as abutments against which the work is pressed during an operation thereon. a

2. The combination with a saw having a movable tabie and a fence, of a gaugecomprising a supporting bar, means-ate vclamp the; supporting bar to the fence, stopsa-carrid .by' thev'supporting bar and overhanging the table, each stop bifurcated at its overhanging end and stop rings suspended in they bifurcated ends of the stops and a dapteaw rest upon the table when no work is supported on the table beneath the overhanging ends of the stops.

HENRY CASKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

-UNITED' STATES PATENTS Go don s Sept. 15, 1931 

